TAC 2015 - Antea

[Antea]

I was waiting till 2016 to begin a TAC, but then I realized that it was not necessary to begin in January. And that I could as well spend a year studying from now till november 2016, and see what my improvements will be within a year.

So my goals for the moment, are as follows:

[flag=]pt[/flag]

I began with portuguese in September and I am pretty confortable with it. Of course, I have no problems with reading comprehension, as my mother tongue is spanish. But I really have to make an effort with oral comprehension. For that, I'm listening to portuguese TV and other random materials that I find in youtube.

I also need more practise with speaking, so I'm looking for some association of portuguese/brazilian learners here in my town.

My learning material is Assimil portuguese

[flag=]sw[/flag]

I also began to study this language in September, although I had previous elementary notions from a trip I made to Kenya some years ago, where I became acquainted to that language.

Obviously I'm not so confortable with it as with portuguese. But as I studied arabic for many years I can say that many vocabulary sounds familiar to me, as derived from arabic words.

I'm taking it slow but steady, as I now It will take time to at least achieve reading understanding.

For the moment, I'm having a hard time with grammar and affixes an suffixes verbs

The grammar book I'm using is "Simplified Swahili".

[flag=]af[/flag]

I'm also a beginner, but I had studied german many years, so it also sounds kind of familiar to me. My initial goal was to study Dutch, but I really couldn't put up with the idea of another excrutiating study of declensions and genders. I've really had enough of this with german and arabic. I need some time with a "not to much complicated language", if we can say that. And I think that Afrikaans will be perfect to allow me a better understanding of Dutch and Flemish, without all that extra effort.

I don't know if that will work

I'm listening to afrikaans music and using random materials that I find in internet

[flag=]ru[/flag]

I began to study russian many years ago, but I had to stop it because I had no more time and it was becoming more complex and demanding. I really have to make an effort to regain my previous level and to continue further.

I'm using Assimil russian.

And that's all for the moment. Of course I have also to keep my level of german, english, arabic, but I will take it easy

[dEhiN]

Bienvenue au TAC et bonne chance avec le vôtre*. Même si vous n'avez pas incluyé l'anglais avec vos langues, êtes-vous ok si je vous corriges?

*On peut se tutoyer? Je ne suis pas certain si on peut utiliser tu en ligne avec les étrangers.

[Antea]

On peut se tutoyer?

Oui, bien sûr que nous pouvons nous tutoyer . Et puis je te remercie de corriger aussi mes erreurs, si tu veux bien. Je suis sûre que j'en ai plein

I didn't include english in my initial list (although I know I need more practise and maybe some inmersion ), because I think that have already reached some level. Of course I could and should improve it, but It's not like starting from zero like with the other ones.

[Antea]

Même si vous n'avez pasincluyé inclus l'anglais avec dans vos langues, êtes-vous ok si je vous corriges?

[Antea]

Well, I suppose I'm adding [flag=]sv[/flag] to the list, since I could not avoid this morning beginning to read my Assimil book "Le suédois sans peine". We will see if I could cope with the study of so many new languages

[IpseDixit]

My initial goal was to study Dutch, but I really couldn't put up with the idea of another excrutiating study of declensions and genders.

Dutch doesn't have declensions and gender has basically disappeared in the Dutch of the Netherlands.

[Antea]

Dutch doesn't have declensions and gender has basically disappeared in the Dutch of the Netherlands.

Really ? Oh, it's good to know that. I don't know why I thought it should be more complex, like german. But there's still something that puts me off about it. Maybe the ortograph with so many vocals together ? I don't know, maybe I should give it a chance, cause it's sure that I would find more resources than for Afrikaans

[dEhiN]

Really ? Oh, it's good to know that. I don't know why I thought it shouldwould be more complex, like gGerman. But there's still something that puts me off about it. Maybe the orthography with so many vocalsvowels together ? I don't know, maybe I should give it a chance, cause it'sI'm sure that I would find more resources than for Afrikaans

[dEhiN]

I was waiting till 2016 to begin a TAC, but then I realized that it was not necessary to begin in January. And that I could as well spend a year studying from now till nNovember 2016, and see what my improvements will be within a year.

Or you could just do a 2015 TAC until the end of this year and then start a 2016 TAC in January.

Also, as far I'm aware, even in casual writing, we always capitalize months in English. The only exception is in text or IM speech where the person is being really lazy and not using any capitals. The same holds true of language names (which I've corrected below). Basically anything to do with a country name, language name, or people group name we always capitalize.

So my goals, for the moment, are as follows:

[flag=]pt[/flag]

I began with pPortuguese in September and I am pretty conmfortable with it. Of course, I have no problems with reading comprehension, as my mother tongue is sSpanish. But I really have to make an effort with oral comprehension. For that, I'm listening to pPortuguese TV and other random materials* that I find in youtube.

I also need more practise with speaking, so I'm looking for somean association of pPortuguese/bBrazilian learners here in my town.

My learning material is Assimil pPortuguese

*Perhaps other English native speakers can weigh in here, but to my ears "material" sounds better here. "Material" is sometimes used as a collective noun, and I guess I use it in that way in a sentence like "other random material". But there are other cases where "materials" is used, and I'm not sure if there's a rule for when or if it's personal preference.

[flag=]sw[/flag]

I also began to study this language in September, although I had previous elementary notions from a trip I made to Kenya some years ago, where I became acquainted towith that language.

Obviously I'm not so conmfortable with it as with pPortuguese. But as I studied aArabic for many years I can say that manymuch of the vocabulary sounds familiar to me, as they are derived from aArabic words.

I'm taking it slow but steady, as I know It will take time to at least achieve reading understanding.

For the moment, I'm having a hard time with grammar and affixes and suffixes verbs

The grammar book I'm using is "Simplified Swahili".

Two points:

One, "many vocabulary" doesn't work in English. You could say something like "many vocabulary items/words" or other phrases like "much of the vocabulary" or even a simpler phrase like "a lot of the vocabulary/words". Keep in mind if you use vocabulary as a noun then you use "sounds" (like you did above), but if you were to use it as an adjective like in "vocabulary items/words", then you use "sound".

Two: The last time "...and affixes and suffixes verbs" doesn't make sense. I'm not sure if you meant to add another "and" between "suffixes" and "verbs". Or if you meant the grammatical device of using affixes with verbs, in which case you could just say "...hard time with grammar and verbal affixes". Also, keep in mind affixes includes suffixes and prefixes and infixes. So you could just use the word affix without having to add suffix as well.

[vijayjohn]

Or you could just do a 2015 TAC until the end of this year and then start a 2016 TAC in January.

If you'd like, you can also call this one 2015-2016, but that's up to you.

Also, as far I'm aware, even in casual writing, we always capitalize months in English.

Agreed.

*Perhaps other English native speakers can weigh in here, but to my ears "material" sounds better here. "Material" is sometimes used as a collective noun, and I guess I use it in that way in a sentence like "other random material". But there are other cases where "materials" is used, and I'm not sure if there's a rule for when or if it's personal preference.

I'm pretty sure I've seen "learning materials" before and would think that was fine in this context. However, I would say "on YouTube," not "in YouTube."

Or if you meant the grammatical device of using affixes with verbs, in which case you could just say "...hard time with grammar and verbal affixes".

Or if you mean specifically suffixes, then you could just say "...hard time with grammar and verb suffixes" or "...suffixes on verbs."

[dEhiN]

[flag=]af[/flag]

I'm also a beginner, but I hadve studied gGerman for many years, so it also sounds kind of familiar to me. My initial goal was to study Dutch, but I really couldn't put up with the idea of another excrutiating study of declensions and genders. I've really had enough of this with gGerman and aArabic. I need some time with a "not to muchso complicated language", if we can say that*. And I think that Afrikaans will be perfect to allowgive/grant me a better understanding of Dutch and Flemish, without all that extra effort.

I don't know if that will work

I'm listening to aAfrikaans music and using random materials that I find inon the internet

*Yes you can say that. A simpler way to phrase might be "I need some time with a language that isn't so complicated". It's simpler in how things are worded, even though it makes for a longer sentence. The phrasing "not so complicated" isn't used that much in casual speech (as far as I know) and I feel like it's a phrasing someone who is more educated would likely use.

[flag=]ru[/flag]

I began to study rRussian many years ago, but I had to stop it because I had no more time and it was becoming more complex and demanding. I really have to make an effort to regain my previous level and to continue further.

I'm using Assimil rRussian.

And that's all for the moment. Of course I have also to keep my level of gGerman, eEnglish, aArabic, but I will take it easy

[dEhiN]

*Perhaps other English native speakers can weigh in here, but to my ears "material" sounds better here. "Material" is sometimes used as a collective noun, and I guess I use it in that way in a sentence like "other random material". But there are other cases where "materials" is used, and I'm not sure if there's a rule for when or if it's personal preference.

I'm pretty sure I've seen "learning materials" before and would think that was fine in this context. However, I would say "on YouTube," not "in YouTube."

Yeah thanks, I totally missed "in YouTube". I guess for me "material" sounded more "correct" because of the use of "other". I don't know why, but to my mind it sounds bizzare because I consider "other" to denote singularity. Confer "others" and "another". What do you think?

[vijayjohn]

Yeah thanks, I totally missed "in YouTube". I guess for me "material" sounded more "correct" because of the use of "other". I don't know why, but to my mind it sounds bizzare because I consider "other" to denote singularity. Confer "others" and "another". What do you think?

But you use "other" in front of plural nouns in cases where you couldn't use a singular noun instead, e.g.:
I saw other people.
*I saw other person.

I think I see your point, though. It's just that for me, I immediately guessed she was talking about learning materials, so in that context, "other materials" makes sense to me. But there's probably a lot of inter-speaker variation regarding whether native speakers of English find this grammatical or not.

[dEhiN]

Yeah thanks, I totally missed "in YouTube". I guess for me "material" sounded more "correct" because of the use of "other". I don't know why, but to my mind it sounds bizzare because I consider "other" to denote singularity. Confer "others" and "another". What do you think?

But you use "other" in front of plural nouns in cases where you couldn't use a singular noun instead, e.g.:
I saw other people.
*I saw other person.

I think I see your point, though. It's just that for me, I immediately guessed she was talking about learning materials, so in that context, "other materials" makes sense to me. But there's probably a lot of inter-speaker variation regarding whether native speakers of English find this grammatical or not.

Yeah you're right! I guess from a linguistic perspective, both are ok since there are native speakers of English who use both.

[Antea]

Hi, and many thanks for your corrections It's good to know all these things.

[flag=]sv[/flag]

Well, I must say I spent some a lot of time this weekend learning Swedish. I can't really explain it, but I wake up on Saturday with a sort of "compulsion" to learn this language. I don't know if any of you have ever had this kind of feeling . I can guess that this was due mainly to the fact that I've tried so hard in the past to convince myself that there were no logical reasons for me to learn Swedish, that finally when the dam of the "many practical reasons I had for not doing it" has broken down, it really has been like a flow. Well, it's clear that I have a poetical day "i dag".

So I began with Duolingo and the Assimil book. We will see how far they will take me

[vijayjohn]

Well, I must say I spent some a lot of time this weekend learning Swedish. I can't really explain it, but I wake woke up on Saturday with a sort of "compulsion" to learn this language. I don't know if any of you have ever had this kind of feeling .

Yeah, I think so.

I can guess that this was due mainly to the fact that I've tried so hard in the past to convince myself that there were no logical reasons for me to learn Swedish, that finally when the dam of the "many practical reasons I had for not doing it" has broken down, it really has been like a flow.

I'd say either "...that now that the dam...has broken down..." or "...that ever since the dam...broke down..."

Well, it's clear that I have a poetical day "i dag".

I feel like I'd say "poetic," but maybe that's just me.

So I began with Duolingo and the Assimil book. We will see how far they will take me

Good luck!

[dEhiN]

Well, it's clear that I have a poetical day "i dag".

I feel like I'd say "poetic," but maybe that's just me.

Yeah I'd say "poetic" as well. Also, in the context of the paragraph, should the tense/aspect have been past progressive: I was having a poetic day?

I looked up the differences between poetic and poetical and according to one source:

As adjectives the difference between poetic and poetical is that poetic is relating to poetry while poetical is of or pertaining to poetry, suitable for poetry, or for writing poetry.

To be honest though, even with that definition I couldn't tell you examples illustrating the two. In my view, "relating to", "pertaining to", and even "suitable for" are all different ways of saying the same thing.

[vijayjohn]

Also, in the context of the paragraph, should the tense/aspect have been past progressive: I was having a poetic day?

I thought she was talking about what was going on at the time she wrote it, so maybe I have/I've been having a poetic day. Idk.

[Antea]

Yeah, I suppose I was having a poetic day or whatever.... ...It seems I just keep employing weird adjectives
I wanted to convey my feelings through a literary image, but it's obvious that it's not so easy . Well, that's because I translate from romance languages, and the words I employ although maybe existing in English, they have a different meaning or are used in other contexts (false friends).

Anyway, today I've been striving to understand something in the Swedish radio. Ok, maybe I've been too impatient....but I'm a little bit disappointed. Well, the grammar seems not so complex, but as for the sounds and the oral comprehension ...it's difficult for me to recognise them (the words are pronounced different from their spelling). Well, I will have to try harder

[vijayjohn]

Well, that's because I translate from rRomance languages, and although the words I employ although maybe existing in English, they have a different meaning or are used in other contexts (false friends).

Anyway, today I've been striving to understand something in the Swedish radio. Ok, maybe I've been too impatient....

I'd say "struggling" instead of "striving" and "I was" instead of "I've been."

but I'm a little bit disappointed. Well, the grammar seems not so complex, but as for the sounds and the oral comprehension ...it's difficult for me to recognise them (the words are pronounced different from their spelling). Well, I will have to try harder

Good luck again!